Current through all regulations passed and filed through September 16, 2024
(A) Policy statement. All university policies
and rules fall within a greater hierarchy of laws, statutes and regulations.
The Youngstown state university board of trustees has been authorized by the
Ohio legislature to do all things necessary for the creation, proper
maintenance, and successful continuous operation of the university (section
3356.03 of the Revised Code). As
may be appropriate, the board of trustees exercises its governance authority
through the issuance of university policies. All university policies shall be
developed, approved, and published in accordance with the standards and format
set forth in this policy and as required by the Ohio legislative service
commission (LSC).
(B)
Purpose. To provide a procedure for the development and enactment of university
policies in order to maintain accountability and consistency.
(C) This policy applies to all university
divisions, colleges, departments, sections, units, or any other categories
within the university and to all individuals within these categories seeking to
develop, enact, revise, or review university policies.
(D) Definitions.
(1) "University policy" - a written directive
or governing principle that is formally approved by the board of trustees,
which has broad application throughout the university. Policies connect the
university's goals and mission to individual conduct, fiscal responsibility,
and institutional expectations, and support compliance with laws and
regulations.
(2) "Policy statement"
- a concise statement of principles, values, and/or intent that provide context
for the policy.
(3) "Purpose" - a
brief explanation of why the policy is needed.
(4) "Procedure" - the operational processes
required to implement a policy including any required training. A procedure may
be included in the policy or an administrative unit or officer may be charged
with developing procedures to implement the policy.
(5) "Guidelines" - statements which are
necessary to clarify and explain the policy (also known as
parameters).
(6) "Scope" - defines
what entities or individuals are covered by a policy.
(7) "Responsible division or office" - the
university unit charged with the development and administration of a policy and
its procedures.
(8) "Responsible
officer" - the highest-ranking university officer charged with administrative
responsibility for a policy that falls within his/her administrative unit,
typically a divisional vice president or chief officer.
(9) "Board committee" - the committee of the
board of trustees with purview over those matters of university operations
which are the subject matter of the policy.
(10) "Non-significant policy changes" -
amendments or corrections to a policy designed to improve the clarity or
address errors or omissions of information, such as changes to reflect
institutional organizational changes, website links, paragraph and outline
numbering, and references to new related laws, regulations, rules, executive
orders, collective bargaining agreement language, and other policies and
procedures.
(E)
Procedure.
(1) A new university policy or a
proposed revision or rescission of an existing policy may be initiated by the
division, office, or officer that has responsibility for the policy
(hereinafter, the policy initiator).
(2)
The formal submission of a policy to the board of trustees shall originate from
the president, a divisional vice president or senior executive, or the board of
trustees. However, an appropriate designee may be named to manage the policy
through the development, submission, and issuance process.
(3) Each divisional vice president or senior
executive is responsible for ensuring that all existing policies assigned to
their division are reviewed on a five-year cycle. A policy may be reviewed or
rescinded or a new policy proposed at any time in response to university needs
or statutory requirements.
(4)
Proposed revisions to existing policies shall be clearly identified and
contrasted with existing language.
(5) Policy initiators may forward the draft
policy to their administrative units for timely review and comment. Comments
are to be returned to the policy initiator.
(6) The policy initiator may utilize any
appropriate council, committee, or forum to obtain campuswide perspective or
input.
(7) Divisional vice
presidents shall review a draft copy of the policy or a policy proposed for
revision with the president for timely review and feedback prior to submission
to the board of trustees.
(8)
During the review process, the policy initiator may incorporate relevant
modifications which are consistent with existing policies and applicable
regulations. If the policy is further modified, a draft will again be
circulated to the president for final review.
(9) Prior to submission to the board of
trustees, the policy shall be presented to the appropriate board committee for
review and comment.
(10) At the
conclusion of the review process and prior to submission to the board of
trustees for approval, the policy initiator shall incorporate those proposed
revisions which are relevant, reasonable, and consistent with existing policies
and applicable regulations.
(11)
The responsible officer or their designee shall submit the final draft to the
board of trustees for approval.
(12) The university office responsible for
policy development shall monitor and assist the appropriate responsible officer
or designee and/or the policy initiator through the development, submission,
and issuance process.
(13)
Following approval by the board of trustees, the policy will be filed with the
legislative service commission and posted on the university webpage designated
for university policies and rules. See paragraph (H) of this policy.
(F) Policy format.
(1) Policies shall be written, numbered, and
submitted for LSC filing in accordance with LSC requirements.
(2) All policies shall be submitted for
internal review and posting in LSC format and with a header containing the
following information:
(i) Responsible
division/office;
(ii) Responsible
officer;
(iii) Revision
history;
(iv) Board
committee;
(v) Effective date;
and
(vi) Next review.
(3) The body of the policy shall
conform to the following order and requirements:
(i) Policy statement (required
section);
(ii) Purpose (required
section, unless self-evident from the policy title or statement);
(iii) Scope (required section, unless
self-evident from the policy title or statement);
(iv) Procedure (required; however, when an
administrative unit/officer is charged with the development of procedures, then
this assignment shall be noted);
(v) Sections or information necessary to
ensure comprehension of and compliance with the policy, such as definitions,
guidelines, sanctions, reference to applicable regulations and/or university
policies.
(G)
Policy numbering system.
(1) All Youngstown
state university policies are numbered and begin with 3356, which denotes the
Revised Code chapter by which the Ohio legislature created the university and
the LSC agency number assigned to the university for filing purposes. The
agency number (3356) is followed by two numbers, which designate, respectively,
the area of administrative responsibility within the university (also known as
the LSC chapter number) and the specific policy number. A policy which serves
to supplement an original policy shall be assigned the number of the original
policy followed by a period (.) and an additional digit (e.g., a supplemental
policy to policy 01 would be numbered 01.1).
(2) For purposes of this policy, the areas of
administrative responsibility are assigned the following numbers:
(a) Governance (includes bylaws of the board
of trustees and process-oriented elements of governing, such as drafting and
numbering of university policies) - 01.
(b) Equal opportunity - 02.
(c) Budget and finance - 03.
(d) Facilities - 04.
(e) Advancement - 05.
(f) Intercollegiate athletics - 06.
(g) Human resources - 07.
(h) Student affairs - 08.
(g) Administration and personnel -
09.
(h) Academic affairs -
10.
(H)
Posting/publication. The latest version of all university policies shall be
posted on a university webpage designated for university policies and rules and
shall be listed by policy number, administrative responsibility, and
alphabetically by title. The office responsible for policy development shall
oversee and maintain the official university policy and rule webpage.
(I) Conflicts. In the event of a conflict
between a university policy and a school or departmental administrative or
operational policy or rule, the university policy shall take precedence unless
the school or department can demonstrates an overriding need for its policy and
the use of the conflicting policy is approved by the president. The school or
department shall notify the office of equal opportunity
, policy
development and title IX of the conflict and the
office of equal opportunity , policy development and title
IX shall take necessary action to correct the conflict where
possible.
